Bingo-ing nowhere

CRIES of ‘House!' and ‘Two Fat Ladies' will never fade at the Mecca Bingo hall in Station Hill, its bosses have told the Evening Post.

The hall is part of a 3.25-acre site near the train station that has been put up for sale.

Nigel Sibley, commercial director at Rank Group, which owns Mecca Bingo, said the company has a lease on the venue until 2066 and has no intention of moving out, whatever happens to the site.

Scores of worried bingo fans contacted the venue after reading news of the proposed sale in the Evening Post.

"Our customers need not worry at all, their interests are the absolute priority for us, and we sent letters out to them to let them know," Mr Sibley said.

"We have been there for many years and we have thousands of customers and staff, and they got very unsettled and worried when they saw the report because they love their bingo hall.

"But the only thing that can happen if there is a redevelopment is that they would get a better venue."

Mr Sibley agreed that the area is in need of improvement but was adamant any regeneration of

the site would not jeopardise the club's future.

If a new owner decided to knock the site down and rebuild on it,they would have to include a new venue for the club, he said.

Mr Sibley added that any developer would also have to plan the work so that a new hall could

be built before they move out of the old one because the club would not shut.

"We do not do that," he insisted.

"We have 125 bingo halls across the UK, and we have always worked with developers and

landlords when we have moved from an old club to a new one.

"The possible sale of the site and the property is purely a property transaction, if the current owner sold it we will have a new landlord, but it does not affect the business."

n Apart from Mecca Bingo, the area up for sale includes the old Alder Valley bus station, Garrard Street car park, which is leased to NCP, office blocks Western Towers and Hogg Robinson, and 13 shop units.

Current owner Land Securities decided to sell the site because it wants to focus its business in retail and London.

The site holds potential for high-rise buildings as outlined in Reading Borough Council's 2020 Vision.